Organic Cane Sugar

It seems that the added sugar is in everything these days, from ketchup to salsa to the soup. It is everywhere, I suppose, because we expect it to be.

And it's not just the white matter that we need to worry. "Refined carbohydrates, like white bread, and white flour products, produce the same reaction from our body.

Researchers have linked consumption of sugar to everything from cavities to skin wrinkled and wide range of health problems much more serious.

Research was cited that says sugar has not been proven to be a direct cause of these health problems and may not even be directly linked to them, but when you consider that the added sugar is basically non-calorie food lack of nutrition and obesity can cause health problems in themselves.

Sugar, some researchers say, can lead to damage of healthy cells and can impair the effectiveness of white blood cells, leading to a weakened immune system. Too much sugar means lots of empty calories, too, which can lead to obesity. As any parent knows, when you meet on the sugar, just not hungry for nutritious meals. And sugar can make you hyperactive, irritable, too, because it hits your body crazy.

When you eat sugar, your blood sugar nails. Thus, your body secretes insulin, which sends your blood sugar crashing. The result? Irritability and fatigue. Plus, you get hungry again and probably want another hit of sugar, and the cycle repeats itself again.

One of the nicest things you can do for your body (and your mood) is to reduce your intake of added sugars and refined carbohydrates.

What is the recommended daily sugar intake?

The World Health Organisation recommends reducing your intake of added sugars to less than 10 percent of your total calories. This means that if you eat 2000 calories you should eat less than 12 teaspoons of sugar each day. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also recommends limiting your intake of added sugar to between 6 and 12 teaspoons of sugar each day, depending on your average daily caloric intake. (Six teaspoons per day for people who eat 1,600 calories, 12 teaspoons if you eat 2200 calories per day.) Remember that drinking one 12 oz soft contains 10 teaspoons of sugar.

To find out how much sugar is in some of the items in your cabinets, look for sugar (measured in grams) on the nutrition label. Then divide the number of grams by 4 to get the number of teaspoons. Thus, 12 grams of sugar 3 teaspoons of sugar. Sixteen grams of sugar 4 teaspoons.

How to break your sugar addiction rates

So how do you begin to reduce your intake of sugar? Here are some tips.

Try to reduce your intake of added sugars gradually. It may be difficult to suddenly cut all sugar and refined carbohydrates. Try to take a week by week approach. One week, add less sugar in your morning coffee. Next week, replace your afternoon soda to bottled water. The following week, replace white bread with an alternative to whole grains. Before long, you will find that food (and drinks) you used to love now taste sickeningly sweet. And you will probably find it easier to keep your moods in balance, too.

Make notes on your sugar intake in your newspaper or DayTimer. How to lower your blood sugar affects your energy level? Your mood during the day? Your ability to sleep at night? When do sugar cravings hit? It might be useful to start with a quick sugar for a day or two. See how one day without added sugar affects you.

Make easy substitutions. Buy brown rice instead of white rice, for example. Brown rice has a nice nutty flavor, and takes a little longer to cook. The next time you go to the bank, the experience with everyone.